In the spirit of Women's Month paramedical skin care specialist, Najma Khan, urged women to love the skin they’re in and avoid the damage that comes with bleaching.
Khan said the devastating effect of skin bleaching leaves a lot to be desired and ought to be abhorred rather than encouraged.
“Beauty is not defined by only outer looks but the entirety of one's personality and therefore light skin cannot set the benchmark for beauty. Skin bleaching is an evolving practice that is gaining participants on a daily basis.
“The trend stems from a bad mindset that’s rooted from years of discrimination and hatred. Uplifting others is essential to growing as a whole, we may not reach a total consensus on diminishing colourism but it’s always worth a try,” said Khan.
Khan, co-owner of Danné Montague-King (DMK) SA, said she aimed to highlight the dangers of banned substances such as Hydroquinone and others which can cause major damage to skin and the body as a whole.
She said societal issues and pressures drive women to not see the beauty of their skin causing them to harm themselves through bleaching. “Your skin is critical to your self-identity and is the largest organ in the body. We have seen this revolution with natural hair where some women would think of their natural hair as a burden. People are offered harsh chemicals in order to make it sleek, but it is often left damaged. These harsh chemical are often similar to the ingredients in many skin bleaching products.”
Listen in on her advice: